Jeffrey Katzenberg Unveils DreamWorks Animation's Slate

In a story from Variety, Jeffrey Katzenberg has unveiled DreamWroks Animation's slate through 2012. All of the projects will be in 3-D.

One of the highlights that Katzenberg talked about was the casting of Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey in Oobermind. Downey will be voicing a "supervillain" who needs something to do when he gets rid of his nemesis Metro Man. The script came to the studio via Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films. The film is slated to open on November 5, 2010.

It seems that the economics of animation mixed with the need for projects has made more animated productions a priority. "We now have three very successful franchises, but we also want to tell new stories. Now, in addition to one or two sequels a year, we'll have a new original as well," stated DreamWorks Animation co-president of production Bill Damaschke.

Damaschke said that in 2010 audiences will get Shrek Forever After as well as, How to Train Your Dragon and Oobermind.

Shrek Forever After is helmed by Mike Mitchell. How to Train Your Dragon is going to be written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Dragon stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera and Jonah Hill. It takes place in the world of Vikings and dragons, and follows an awkward teen who becomes pals with an injured dragon.

"Some people wonder if the market can sustain three animated movies from DreamWorks, and I feel there seems to be room in the marketplace for big event movies the entire family can go to," Damaschke went on to say. "Now that people have grown up on animation, there's an adult audience for animation."

Other projects include Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman in Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom which comes out on June 3, 2011. Jennifer Yuh Nelson will be making her feature directorial debut.

Then on November 4, DreamWorks Animation will be releasing The Guardians, which is currently an unpublished book series from William Joyce. His work inspired the films Meet the Robinsons and Rolie Polie Olie.

Jeff Lynch will be directing The Guardians which features such characters as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman. They have to join forces to save the world from "a Bogeyman-like villain."

After that, DreamWorks will be bringing out Puss in Boots which looks at that character's life before he appeared in Shrek 2. Antonio Banderas will be coming back, and Salma Hayek will be voicing the character of Kitty. Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) will be directing this project which should be coming out March 30, 2012.

Then after that Eric Darnell (Madagascar) will be bringing out the third film in that franchise. The animals will now be in Europe via a traveling circus.

Then on November 12 there are three projects that are currently vying for that release date.

One is The Croods from directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. The second is Truckers which comes from Terry Pratchett's The Bromeliad Trilogy. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) will be adapting the story that centers around miniature creatures trapped in a department store.

The third option, currently called Super Secret Ghost Project, focuses on what ghosts really think about the humans they dwell amongst.

"These projects are such a huge time commitment, so we develop every film as if we're going to make it," said Damaschke.